Walsh house
Kelly ran back into the house. She was wet from head to toe. The project was to help Brandon wash the car but it was over with a series of water games that had only watered her.
Brandon followed her a short distance away, they were both laughing.
"Sorry Kelly "laughed Brandon "sorry I didn't want to get you wet"
"You had to wash the car not me," she replied, letting Brandon gird his arms around her waist.
"I ran away from the water pipe, it wasn't intentional" Brandon laughed again.
"No, you like to wet girls' t-shirts"
Brandon gave her a kiss while holding her tight "no, I like to wet the shirt only to you, but if you want to go and change you can get one of my shirts in my room"
Brandon looked at the nipples hardened on Kelly by the cold water. Valerie was in the house, but he wouldn't mind going up with Kelly to help her undress and change.
Kelly made a nice grimace with her mouth "ok" wait for me here" she said kissing him again.
Kelly quickly climbed the stairs and went to Brandon's room, fast she took off her wet t-shirt and took a blue shirt. She rolled up the sleeves, then went to the bathroom to dry her hair.
She didn't think about Valerie's presence.
She turned on the hair dryer and began to dry laughing inside herself at how she had fun with Brandon.
A strange smell came from Valerie's room, it was actually a pretty precise smell, it smelled like marijuana.
Kelly felt it distinctly and very intensely.
She knocked on Valeire's door
"Can I come in?"
Valerie asked her to wait a second.
Damn Kelly what do you want... she threw her roach out the window re-promising to go and pick up it in the Walsh garden.
Valerie opened the door and said hi to Kelly.
"What are you doing around here?"
Kelly ignored the question and looked around insiste Valerie room Incense was lit on the desk.
"I felt like someone smelled marijuana"
"You're going to joke," Valerie replied, "I don't smoke marijuana, what you've smelled is this," she said, pointing to the incense.
"It's Indian weed, a very similar smell. My mother always made a great use of incense and I was left with this habit, it helps me relax and concentrate"
Kelly nodded but wasn't convinced at all.
"Did you like to ask me something else?" Valerie told her with smart eyes.
"No," Kelly replied, "I just went up to dry myself."
Valerie smiled "yes I saw you from the window, Brandon bathed you and not the car"
Kelly nodded "yeah... I'm going to Brandon," she said and walked away under Valerie's metal eyes.
When she went down Brandon had opened a pair of Tapperware where there were leftovers from dinner. He didn't even bother to take a plate and began to eat with a fork.
Kelly looked at him carefully. He knew Brandon had a connection to Valerie so he chose words to tell Brandon about her suspicions.
"You didn't dry your hair," Brandon said, "do you want some help?" He said kissing her.
"No," Kelly shook her head.
Brandon always understood when Kelly was hiding something or was on the verge of saying something.
"You went up to my room and you were fine, what happened?"
Kelly sighed.
"I smelled marijuana coming from Valerie's room"
'Marijuana?' Brandon laughed.
"Yes, Marijuana, I went in and she told me it was incense"
"Valerie always has that damn incense on."
"Brandon, that wasn't the smell of incense but marijuana, Valerie was smoking marijuana. I can't believe you really think that's the smell of incense.."
In fact Brandon had never believed the story of incense but he had never really cared about it, Valerie said they were all oriental scents and he had believed them.
Jim and Cindy evidently didn't know anything about it.
Brandon loudly placed the Tupperware on the table under Kelly's mischievous eyes.
Peach Pit
Steve had dragged Dylan, Nat and David to see a place that was on the same block as the Peach Pit but in the back. It was an opportunity not to be missed, they could have widen the place and directly access the new Peach Pit by night.
Peach Pit by night was a provisional name, Steve had already thought about changing it, in Peach Pit After Dark.
Steve was full of plans and ideas while Dylan only had a huge headache due to drinking the previous night.
The money investment was pretty big and Dylan didn't have all that money, not anymore at least, that's why he had asked for a mortgage on the house, everyone thought he was a millionaire but he was too desperate and mortified to tell the truth. He hoped that the Peach Pit By night, or After Dark would provide him with receipts such as to be able to pay the expenses and survive otherwise they would have been big problems especially for the payment of the mortgage. Dylan could lose his house.
These thoughts only made his pain worse and what Steve said became just a pile of meaningless words.
He needed a coffee. As soon as possible.
"So what do you think?" Steve asked, looking him straight in the face.
Everyone expected a convinced yes from him, a signed check and they could start the renovations. Dylan couldn't tell the truth, he couldn't tell he was broken.
"Okay let's try," Dylan replied and he didn't even know why he said It . I had to say no. He Thought. I could have said no.
Steve was over the moon. Finally something completely thought out, designed and realized by him, without cheating and without trouble would become a reality.
"I promise you don't have to do anything, will David and I take care of it?"
"Me?" David asked.
" you have to take care about the music ... at least at first until we find someone better," Steve said ironically.
"Thank you so much Steve," David replied.
David couldn't help it, the guilt towards Steve was literally killing him. He should have told him all about his sex afternoons with Valerie. She should at least have pressured Valerie to break off the nascent relationship with Steve or witth him.
Dylan had had enough of staying in that place. He just wanted to go home.
"I'm leaving," he greeted everyone and walked into the Peach Pit parking lot and crossed paths with Brandon who was parking.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds. Brandon tried to call him "Dylan.."
When Dylan heard his name he closed his eyes but kept walking, he jumped into the car without opening the door and never turning to Brandon and then ran away, fast, leaving Brandon standing to watch him as time took away his brother.
Campus.
Donna walked the campus with a camera in her hand. It was a project by Clare, interviewing casually met men and getting them to say a few words they had already chosen. The result would have been a montage of these words with different faces and faces, it was a kind of comic short film.
Donna saw some workers who were working on a pipe. She looked at one in particular, a cute boy about her age.
"Hello," she said to him with her usual smile.
The boy raised his head "hello"
"My name is Donna Martin, I'm a student here at CU, I'm making a project for my communication class, would you like to participate?"
"Hi, I'm Ray, Ray Pruit, what is it about?"
"You just have to answer a few questions while I film you"
Ray took off his work gloves and said he was fine, that he was willing to participate.
Donna turned on the camera.
"Are you ready?"
'Sure '
"What's the name of the most famous doll in the world that all the little girls play with?"
Ray frowned "What kind of questions are they?" He asked.
"It's just a project, you just have to answer Barbie," Donna said in embarrassment.
"Barbie," he said with an unconvinced look.
"Well, what is the name of the red fruit ..." Donna didn't have time to finish.
"Okay, turn off the camera" Ray was angry "you're just making fun of me and I'm not willing to be teased" Ray said.
Ray was evidently angry and Donna didn't know what to say.
"Just because you're spoiled rich doesn't mean you can do what you want with other people's lives," said Ray who quickly picked up his things by putting them in the van.
"Sorry I'm sorry" Donna tried to say but it was obviously too late and Ray left quickly.
Walsh house
Brandon knocked on the door of Valerie's room which was already open.
'Hey Brandon!' She greeted him with enthusiasm while arranging some books "I'm in a hurry I have to go to university"
Brandon leaned against the desk where it was burning incense.
"Could you avoid using all this incense?" Brandon asked.
"Does it bother you?" Valerie replied.
Brandon did not directly answer the question "Kelly said she smelled Marijuana entering your room.
Valerie immediately sensed what Brandon was referring to, but denied it.
"Me? Marijuana? I don't smoke and even if I smoked I wouldn't smoke inside this room"
"Of course, because Jim and Cindy wouldn't approve."
"I don't know what smell Kelly smelled but Marijuana that's not what she smelled... I know .."
'What?'
"That your girlfriend doesn't like me.."
"This is not true"
"Yes it is"
"Kelly is just a little stiff with people she doesn't know.."
"So she's a snob?!
"No... I didn't mean that. I'm just saying that maybe you should give each other a chance".
"Okay," Valerie replied, putting her backpack on her shoulder and giving Brandon a kiss on the cheek. "I'll do my best."
Brandon watched Valerie go down the stairs, he feared that her presence would create problems for him with Kelly, he liked Valerie for him she was like a sister, but he loved Kelly in a deep way and their story was only at the beginning, he needed to reinforce the roots for when the storms would come.
Mckay House.
Dylan was holding his cordless in his hands, the effect of the alcohol from the night before had evaporated. When he had moments of lucidity he missed Brenda terribly. He wanted to hear her voice but he didn't know whether to call, he didn't know if he would answer that Daniel again, he didn't know if she was with him.
He took a deep breath and tried to dial the number.
'Hello?' Brenda's voice popped out of the black hole of his thoughts.
'Brenda?' Asked Dylan.
"Dylan... hi.." Brenda was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of emotion "How are you?"
"Well," he said lying and Brenda knew from Valerie that Dylan was lying, "I just heard the voicemail messages and I wanted to tell you not to worry about what happened in London, for that evening."
There were a few seconds of silence.
"I'm really sorry Dylan, I should have told you to stay, that we could deal with this together, if only I knew what we had to deal with."
Kevin and Suzanne's idea went up quickly.
"The other day I called," Dylan said, "your boyfriend answered me, Daniel"
"He told me he had called my brother"
"I told him I was Brandon"
Brenda laughed and that made Dylan laugh too
The news that Dylan knew about Daniel and that he had discovered him from a phone call hurt Brenda deeply.
Despite everything she would have liked to protect Dylan from everything but often it was Dylan who didn't want to give her a chance, just as it had happened in London.Dylan condemned himself in the dark of his days. Without mercy.
"I'm sorry.." she said "that's you knew about him like that"
Dylan tried to bring out the serenity he didn't have.
"No.. you don't have to.. I'm happy if you are happy" he said as he screamed inside himself.
I wanted my happiness with you, Brenda thought.
"He's a good guy..." Brenda said unnecessarily.
"I'm sure ," Dylan replied. I'm your good guy, I can be better than that, Dylan thought, we can go back to being who we were.
"We're going on a little tour this week," Brenda said, "but I'll be back soon, if you want when I come back I'll call you back. We can keep in touch sometime," Brenda said.
Brenda wasn't sure about the contours that surrounded Dylan. She knew he wasn't well, she knew he was living a dissolute life, but for once Brenda wanted to be selfish. She loved Dylan, she felt that their souls were connected, but that Dylan could bring her love but also an infinite pain that Brenda, no longer wanted to feel. It was too debilitating. It damaged her in the foundation.
Both would have liked to tell each other a lot more than what they were talking about, but sometimes the heart trembles and you can no longer say what you would like, out of fear.
"Take care of yourself," Brenda said.
"You too," Dylan replied.
I love you, they both thought.
Dylan looked at the phone for a few minutes, he wanted to call back, he wanted to hear her voice again.
They knocked on the door. From the windows Dylan saw that it was Steve.
He tried not to make any noise, he wanted him to leave. If Steve had left he could have gone back to his bar, to his black holes.
"Dylan, I know you're in, your car is in the driveway!"
Dylan sighed and then opened the door.
Steve had project sheets in his hand.
"You absolutely have to see this!" He said
'What are they?'
'The plans for the new Peach!'
Dylan scratched his beard.
"You certainly don't waste your time..."
"It's a great project, you'll thank me when you get rich, ah no you're already rich... so when you get richer!"
This words made Dylan smile.
Dylan didn't want to hear him but Steve's eyes were so excited that he let him explain to him all his ideas for which a lot of money would be needed, money he didn't have.
"We have to go to David's and show him everything."
'Now?' Dylan asked.
"Come on, give me half an hour..."
Steve looked at him as a child would look in front of a new game.
"Okay, give me time to rinse my face."
Dormitory.
Valerie's backpack was thrown to the ground in David's room together with their clothes.
The two were hugging each other in bed. It wasn't a real tenderness between them, it was their way of resting after the sex they consumed together.
Valerie kept challenging him, going to him, David couldn't tell her no and deep down he didn't want to tell her no.
"Your sister hates me," Valerie told him, "went to Brandon to say that I smoke marijuana"
"And you smoke it?" David asked, raising his eyebrow.
Valerie wasn't upset by the question "No." She lied.
"I don't think my sister hates you, she doesn't even know you"
"She wants Brandon all for herself and hates anything around him, she would hate me even more if she knew I'm sleeping with her brother"
"Step brother" said David.
"Better," Valerie replied.
David laughed.
Neither wanted to ask questions about what they were and where they were.
"Do you have commitments tonight?" David asked her.
'Why?' Valerie pulled up her head "do you want to invite me on a date?"
"No" David looked at her "I just want to know if you're going out with Steve.
"Maybe"
That response annoyed David who got up quickly and Valerie didn't even try to hold him back.
David began to walk around the room completely naked, he couldn't find a pair of shorts, nor the boxers. Valerie watched him in bed, his body covered with a sheet.
'Where are you going?' She asked him.
"I don't know..: I have to get out of here"
"You were the one who told me you didn't want commitments." Valerie Clarify.
"It's true, but the guilt towards Steve is killing me I think we'll have to tell him the truth or end it here"
David found a pair of shorts, went to the door and unlocked it.
"It's time for you to go Valerie"
David sat on the bed to slip the shorts in but Valerie stopped him and took them off.
To do this she had to stand up on the bed trying to keep them as high as possible.
"Come on.. Valerie, give me back my shorts..."
"No," she said, making them flutter.
Valerie's naked body tempted David who was right at the height of her belly.
David couldn't resist. He began to kiss her on her belly and then in the middle of her thighs. Valerie immediately realized that the sex that afternoon was not over. He put his hands on her butt to bring her belly closer to him.
They Started fucking again or maybe making love.
At that moment the unlocked door opened wide.
"Hei David," Steve said with Dylan in tow.
He hadn't knocked.
Steve's smile went out as soon as he saw the two naked in bed. David held Valerie's leg up as he penetrated her from behind. They were fucking behind his back.
Behind Steve, Dylan had a look between the amused and the shocked.
"Oh my God," Steve said, "behind my back."
David took off from Valerie as she covered her body with sheets.
"Steve .." she whispered.
David jumped up, looked again for the shorts he can't find.
"Steve.." David said in a higher tone of voice.
Steve turned his gaze to David. There was a strange light.
"Steve I'm sorry, it's not what you think"
Steve didn't say anything but anger had blinded him.
He threw a punch on David's cheek.
"You're a son of a bitch David." He shouted.
Dylan couldn't hold him back to take him out.
Dylan dragged him and he kept shouting from the hallway.
"You're a son of a bitch David, a piece of shit"
David was still on the ground with a bleeding nose, the door was going to remain open and all the students could see Valerie naked in the bed, covered by the sheet and David on the ground with a bleeding nose.
Valerie got up covering herself with the sheet and went to close the door, trying to help David who refused her hand.
"Go away Valerie," he told her, refusing to be helped with the blood coming out of his nose.
Valery slowly dressed as David remained on the floor and a small handkerchief to stop the bleeding.
He only got up after she was gone.